Draft-equalizer.



No. 831,432.. PATENTED SEPT. 18, 1906. J. W. HELTON. DRAFT EQUALIZER.

A PPLIOATION FILED 00T.30, 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. HELTON, OF WVATERLOO, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF FOUR-FIFTHS TO SAMUEL SHILLIAM, OF VVATERLOO, IOWA.

DRAFT-EQUALIZER.

Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

Application filed October 30, 1905. Serial No. 285,058.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. HELTON, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Waterloo, Blackhawk county, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Draft-Equalizers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to draft-equalizers; and the object of my invention is to furnish a detachable and adjustable appliance of the kind mentioned, which will not only remedy any discrepancies in draft, but will have the effect of keeping the vehicle or machine in which it is used constantly in an unfluctuating line of direction. This object I have attained by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of an axle with attached tongue having the usual form of doubletree and swingletrees, my equalizing device being shown as connected between said parts in operative position, the ends of the axle being shown as broken away. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of my equalizing device as detached, while Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

An axle 0 is depicted having an attached tongue 1), to the latter of which a doubletree n is pivoted on the Wagon-hammer bolt 1". On the upper surface of the left and right ends of the doubletree n is placed a lever a, s and a lever a s respectively, the levers being pivoted to said doubletree at their outer ends by pivot-bolts c and c. Hooks la and 7c are fixed in the anterior surface of both ends of the axle 0 to hold the rear ends of the staychains h and h, respectively, the forward links of said stay-chains being engaged by hooks g and g on the rear ends of the swivels d and d, respectively, which latter are at their forward ends pivoted on stubs-bolts c and e fixed to the inner ends of the levers a s and a 8. On stub-bolts f and f fixed on the upper and lower levers a s and a .9, respectively, are pivoted the swivels b and b, said stub-bolts being set intermediately between the bolts 0 and e and c and e, respectively, but somewhat nearer the bolts 0 and c to increase the amount of leverage on the inner ends of the levers a s and a/ 8, respectively. The forward ends of the swivels b and b are looped into the hooks Z and Z on the swingletrees m and m, respectively.

My device is adapted to be used on either vehicles or riding planters or seeders and the like, as in either case it has a beneficial use, as follows: When one horse of the team hitched up to the swingletrees m and m slacks back a s, with its pivot-bolt c. If the connection of 1 the swivel b were direct to the end of the doubletree instead of to an intermediate point of the lever a s as shown, the effect would be to throw the tongue 19 over against the other horse and, with the tongue, would move the axle 0 to one side, causing the vehicle to leave the track or vary from a straight line of forward movement. The connecting up of the swivel b to an intermediate point of the lever a sf causes the draft on the end of doubletree to be more gradual, and the interaction of the two sets of levers a s and a s has the effect of causing the axle 0 to keep its position without deflection to either side. Instead of the axle veering about, the doubletree n will move pivotally on the bolt 1" without causing the tongue to deflect, thus preventing it from striking the other horse. In the event of a marked tendency or habit of one horse to lag behind the other and cause a slackening in the stay-chain on his side of the vehicle an adjustment can be easily effected by inserting the hook g or 9 into another link of the stay-chain h or h, as the case may be, to take up the slack and accommodate the length of the stay-chain to be in the desired position of tautness.

The effect in use of my device is to prevent sudden deflections of the axle and the tongue and to keep the vehicle in the same path, obviating almost entirely violent movements thereof to one side, otherwise caused by differences of draft or the encountering of an obstacle, such as a stone, in the track of one of the fore wheels. In the latter event the guidance effected by my device will keep the wheel from wrenching off or being thrown to one side violently when passing over or coming in contact with a stone in the track and will cause the wheel to mount the obstruction quietly and pass over it without inconvemence.

Having described my invention, what I: claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a draft-equalizer, in combination, a doubletree, swingletrees, an axle, levers pivoted at one end to each end of the doubletree,link connections between said axle and the other ends of said levers, and link connections between said levers and said swingletrees.

2. In a draft-equalizer, in combination, an axle, a tongue attached thereto, a doubletreepivoted to said tongue, swingletrees, levers pivoted at one end to each end of the doubletree, linked connections between said axle and the other end of said levers, and linked connections between said levers and said swingletrees.

3'. In a draft-equalizer, in combination, an axle, a tongue attached thereto, a. doubletree pivoted to said tongue, swingletrees, levers pivoted at one end to each end of the doubletree, adjustable link connections between said axle and the otherend of said levers, and

link connections between said lievers and said swingletrees.

4;. In a draft-equalizer, in combination, an axle, a tongue attached thereto, a doubletree pivoted to said tongue, swingletrees, levers pivoted at one end to each end of the doubletree, swivels pivoted to said levers at points nearest their outer ends and linked to said swingletrees, and swivel-hooks pivoted on the other ends of said levers, stay-chains adjustably connected between said swivel-hooks and said axle.

5. In a draft-equalizer, a vehicle, a movable member connected thereto adapted to; have draft-animals attached thereto, levers pivoted at one end tosaid movable member,

and at the other end linked to; said vehicle,

and links for communicating, the draft to desired points between the ends of said'leversr Signed at Waterloo, Iowa, this 9th. day of JOHN W. HELION. Witnesses:

- HARRY Moonn, G. G. KENNEDY. 

